Jun-23-11 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AIDS MORE SINGLE PARENTS

NEWTON, June 23, 2011 – The state Department of Labor and Workforce Development today joined Project Self-Sufficiency in unveiling “Work Connections,” the second program launched this month by the administration of Governor Chris Christie to help single parents who are forced to find jobs in these tough economic times.

“Work Connections” opened its doors at the 35,000-square-foot Sussex County campus of Project Self-Sufficiency, a non-profit organization that has spent the past 25 years providing training and support services to low-income families in Northwestern New Jersey, helping them to become economically self-sufficient by improving their skills and marketability.

Commissioner Harold J. Wirths of the Department of Labor said Project Self-Sufficiency is the perfect vehicle for the “Work Connections” program, which was made possible by a $750,000 Pilot and Demonstration Grant issued by the Department using federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds.

“I live in Sussex County, and I spent nearly a decade on the Sussex County freeholder board. I have witnessed first-hand the success of this wonderful organization. It has certainly lived up to its name in how it has helped single-mothers hit by hard times to become self-sufficient and support their families,” said Wirths.

Project Self-Sufficiency has been helping low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families and displaced homemakers to improve their lives and the lives of their children.

The “Work Connections” program will further the same goals by employing a uniform model adopted by the State of New Jersey to target single parents, specifically homemakers being forced to return to work after years of being out of the job market. The program targets people who had been home caring for their children and families, but who now must find a job because of divorce, the death of a spouse, domestic violence, abandonment or some other personal circumstance.

“The model offered by Project Self-Sufficiency over the past 24 years has proven to be very effective in empowering individuals to make meaningful, long-term changes in their lives. Our program encompasses workplace training, family support, parenting skills, childcare, counseling, and a host of other resources and services designed to assist the individual in achieving economic self-sufficiency,” said Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.

“Receiving this grant from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development validates the success of our methods, and we are extremely enthusiastic about demonstrating the effectiveness of this program throughout the state of New Jersey,” she added.

The Department of Labor helped Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. to launch a similar program, “Goodwill Works,” on June 6 in Newark with a separate $750,000 WIA grant.

Project Self-Sufficiency’s “Work Connections,” as with “Goodwill Works," is set up to give candidates the tools they need to find employment, succeed in the workplace and support their families. The program uses a “customized training” approach toward employment, developing individualized plans for each candidate to train for employment, obtain work, retain the job and advance in their employment to acquire financial stability.

At the same time, the program assists the candidates in dealing with problems impacting their ability to retain employment, such as the lack of child care, literacy, vocational skills and transportation.

New Jersey Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths (center, holding scissors) helps Project Self-Sufficiency unveil its “Work Connections” program to help single parents who are forced to find jobs in these tough economic times. Commissioner Wirths is joined by (left to right): Sussex County Freeholder Richard Vohden; Sussex County Freeholder Parker Space; Newton Mayor Kristi Becker; (Commissioner Wirths); Beverly Gordon, Chairwoman of Project Self-Sufficiency; and Patrice Green, Director of Work Connections.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is an equal employment opportunity employer and provides equal opportunity programs.
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to assist individuals with disabilities.